


Chemistry

by Humansunshine



Series: Maia Month 2018 [14]
Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Friendship, Maia Month 2018, Meet-Cute, Pre-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-16
Updated: 2018-07-16
Packaged: 2019-06-11 12:49:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 572
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15315864
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Humansunshine/pseuds/Humansunshine
Summary: Maia's been studying for hours when a stranger asks if he can sit at her table.





	Chemistry

**Author's Note:**

> Prompted by magical-magnus on tumblr! "Could you write something pre or post canon about maia using her downtime at the bar to study for her masters and magnus occasionally coming in and studying with her and helping her since he's good at chemistry?"
> 
> Hope you like it!

Maia felt like she was drunk. She had to have ingested some hallucinogen or something, because none of the words on the page of this textbook meant anything. They were just random words put together in an order she didn’t understand. For a moment, she raised her head, looking at the back wall of the Hunter’s Moon. It wasn’t swimming, it was totally normal.

Was she losing her mind?

“You look like you could use a break.” An unfamiliar voice spoke off to the side of her, and Maia looked up to see an absurdly handsome man holding a martini. 

“Uhh… Yeah, I probably could,” she admitted, rubbing at the inner corner of her eye. “Honestly I’m just staring at nothing at this point.”

“You mind if I sit? It’s pretty busy in here.” He asked, and Maia nodded, shifting her textbook closer to her to free up space on the table. “They really should hire more staff, it took me forever to get this drink.” 

“Yeah, yeah, they really should.” Maia agreed, studying the stranger, trying to figure out what his deal was. It was rare that a mundane wandered into the Hunter’s Moon. He wasn’t a vampire; his golden skin wasn’t dull enough. He could be a visiting werewolf, though it was unlikely that a wolf would wear such expensive clothes, what with the danger of them getting ripped to shreds at a moments’ notice. So, a warlock. 

“My name’s Magnus,” he supplied, quirking an eyebrow at her scrutinising gaze. “Magnus Bane.” 

“I’m Maia.” 

“Oh! Maia! You’re the newbie in the pack.” He snapped his fingers, “Luke’s told me all about you. I brewed that wolfsbane potion you’ve been using.” 

Maia’s face broke into a grin, and she nodded. “Right! Right, yeah. Wait, that makes you the High Warlock?” 

Magnus nodded, taking a sip of his cocktail. “Yeah, yeah, that’s me.”

“So… You’re good at chemistry?” Maia asked tentatively, her fingers drumming her textbook, still open in front of her.

“Well, I do technically have a doctorate in it… But that was decades ago.” Magnus shrugged, “what’s the subject?”

Maia scratched her head. “Honestly I have no idea. The last thing I understood was the fact that the pH level in oceans changes depending on how close to land the water is, and which landmasses it’s close to.”

“Because of mundane pollution, presumably?” Magnus guessed, tugging the textbook towards him. “Right, right.” He rubbed his thumb along the rim of his martini glass as he scanned the page, his eyes narrowed a little. “This is basically explaining why the pH level matters; how it can affect the pH balance inside the creatures breathing the water and cause chemical changes in the creatures’ bodies.” 

“That’s it?!” Maia gaped at him. “I’ve been staring at that page for like a half hour!”

Magnus chuckled, reaching for a highlighter. “You just have to tune out the superfluous words. Also… When was the last time you ate?” 

“Uhh… What time is it now?” 

“Right, that’s what I thought. You want to share some nachos?” He offered, uncapping the highlighter pen. 

Maia shrugged. “Sure, if you’re buying.”

Magnus snorted, not taking his eyes off the page. “Doing your homework and buying you dinner,” he muttered, “how do I get myself into these situations?” 

“How about I promise to buy your drinks for the night in exchange?” Maia bargained, and Magnus looked up, smirking.

“You’re on.”


End file.
